Soldano BCM Signature Amp Audio Files

The following Hi Gain rhythm tracks were played by Chris D’Abaldo, my good friend and founding guitarist for the hard rock band “Saliva”. I asked him to come to Lee Way Studios here in Memphis and bring both of his Gibson Les Pauls that he used while playing live with “Saliva”. Then I had him record four tracks using my own Soldano 44 BCM Signature model amps, serial #’s 1 and 2. I have a Jensen Blackbird Jet Alnico 100 watt speaker in one amp and a Celestion Vintage 30 60 watt speaker in the other.

As far as recording gear in the studio, we used a Sennheiser 421 in the back of each amp with a Shure SM 57 in the front of each amp together as one track > 2 API 512C mic preamps > Pro Tools HD 7.2 software in 24 bit and 96k resolution.

Each amp was set up as follows for all four tracks. Normal volume 11 (dimed), no Lead volume used since these were rhythm tracks, Pregain 5.0, Reverb 1.5, Bass 9, Mids 3.9, Treble 8, and Presence 8. No pedals, plugins, or studio tricks were used to make these tracks. Chris used his guitars and my amps.

The first two tracks Hi Gain #1 and #2 were recorded with a Jensen Blackbird Jet Alnico speaker. Chris used his 1978 Gibson Les Paul Standard with a mahogany body, maple top, maple neck, and maple fret board using stock Gibson pickups in track #1, and then his Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul Zakk Wylde Bullseye with EMG 81/85 pickups in track #2.

The next two tracks Hi Gain #3 and #4 were recorded with a Celestion Vintage 30, and the same guitars as the above tracks.

*** If you listen closely, you should be able to figure out which famous song Chris recorded with track #2 and #3 using his Bullseye Les Paul. Let me know if you figure it out. ***

Track #1 - Hi Gain

Track #2 - Hi Gain

Track #3 - Hi Gain

Track #4 - Hi Gain

The following 8 audio tracks are the same type riff played by my good friend and front man for the Southern rock band called “Monoxide Project”. Kish Moody is a Zakk Wylde clone that can play anything from funk bass, to mandolin, to gospel, praise, classic rock, Albert Lee style chicken picking, or hard charging alternative tuning modern rock. I asked him to showcase the amp with its own natural tone and NOTHING was used for these 8 tracks except guitar, cable, and amplifier. NO STUDIO TRICKS here at all. You will be able to hear when he rolls the guitar volume up and down and when he steps on the pedal to engage the Lead volume master.

For the first 8 tracks, Kish used his own 2004 Gibson Les Paul Classic with very hot stock 496R and 500T humbuckers, and a 1983 American Strat in all original condition, with a Solid Cables Dynamic Arc Beta guitar cable straight to the 44, then a Shure SM57 and Millennia microphone preamp through Pro Tools HD 7.2 software were used for these recordings.

These tracks will clearly show that this hi gain amplifier can cleanup and run with ANY amp imaginable in any setting. After all, it is a Soldano, so you know that when you choose to turn the pregain way up, it will get as nasty as you want.

The Soldano 44 Blues City Music Signature model combo was set up as follows for all 10 tracks except that the pregain was dialed in at 2.0 for the first 8 tracks: Lead volume 11, Normal volume 8.5, Pregain 3.0, Reverb 1.5, Bass 8, Mids 4, Treble 7, and Presence 7.

Track #1 - 44 BCM, Jensen Blackbird Jet Alnico speaker, Les Paul bridge pickup.

Track #2 - 44 BCM, Jensen Blackbird Jet Alnico speaker, Stratocaster bridge pickup.

Track #3 - 44 BCM, Jensen NEO speaker, Les Paul bridge pickup.

Track #4 - 44 BCM, Jensen NEO speaker, Stratocaster middle pickup.

Track #5 - 44 BCM, Celestion Vintage 30, Les Paul bridge pickup.

Track #6 - 44 BCM, Celestion Vintage 30, Stratocaster middle pickup.

Track #7 - 44 BCM, Eminence Legend, Les Paul bridge pickup.

Track #8 - 44 BCM, Eminence Legend, Stratocaster middle pickup.

For the next track, I had Kish use my 05’ Gibson Les Paul with custom wound Jason Lollar Imperial humbuckers at 7.6 and 8.4 ohm output, Tone Pros bridge assembly, Schaller nickel tuners, CTS 500k pots and Switchcraft pickup selector, Buzz Feiten tuning system, heavy stainless steel frets, and a PLEK’d fret board. He used my pedal board but only the KLON Centaur Overdrive as a clean boost at 2.0, and my Maxon AD 999 analog delay for depth. All amp settings were the same except the pregain was moved to 2.0. The same amp was used for the rhythm track and then Kish laid down the lead track.

Track #9 - 44 BCM, Jensen Blackbird Jet Alnico speaker, my Gibson Les Paul with neck and bridge pickups.

For the next track, I had Kish use my 06’ Tom Anderson Cobra S with a mahogany body and neck, maple top, and African Rosewood fret board. Tom’s own H1 and H2+ humbuckers were installed in this guitar, and Kish used the middle position but with the tone control knob pulled. This allowed both pickups to be split engaging only the forward coil of each pickup for a vintage “Tele” tone. Pickup output was 5.5 ohms. He used my pedal board but only the KLON Centaur Overdrive with the gain at 2.0, my Maxon AD 999 analog delay for depth, and a Pro Tools HD Fairchild Compressor. All amp settings were the same except the pregain was moved to 2.0. The same amp was used for the rhythm track and then Kish laid down the lead track.

Track #10 - 44 BCM, Jensen Blackbird Jet Alnico speaker, my Tom Anderson Cobra S in "Tele" mode (split humbuckers).

Soldano SLO-100 Audio Files

The following audio files were played by two professional musicians with NO EFFECTS used and recorded at Leeway Studios, here in Memphis, Tennessee. My good friends Scott Bartlett of Saving Abel, Dust for Life, and Roxanne Lemon; and Chris D'Abaldo original founding member of Saliva and current guitarist in 8 Days to Amsterdam took time out of their busy schedules to assist Blues City Music with this endeavor.

The amp used was a Blues City music demo SLO-100 head with the Warren Haynes, Scoop, and Depth options, BUT ONLY the Depth option was used for just the Overdrive files.

The cabinet used was a Soldano 4 x 12" slant front with 2 stock/original Eminence 70 watt speakers and 2 Electro Voice EVM 12L "Zakk Wylde" Black Label Society 300 watt speakers.

A 95' Fender Strat with Seymour Duncan Antiquities in the neck/middle positions and Seymour Duncan humbucker in the bridge position, Les Paul Custom with EMG 81's, Les Paul Studio with Seymour Duncan SH-12 George Lynch "Screamin' Demons, and Les Paul Classic with Seymour Duncan Antiquities were used to make these recordings.

A Solid Cable Dynamic Arc Beta instrument cable was used from the guitars to the SLO-100 guitar input with NO EFFECTS in the loop.

For recording, we used Sennheiser 421 and Shure SM57 microphones on the cabinet through a Chandler EMI TG2 mike preamp to an API 550B EQ, but THIS WAS TOTALLY BYPASSED, then finishing with Pro Tools HD3 Accel software.

Track #1 - Clean channel - Les Paul Studio/neck pickup.

Track #2 - Clean channel - Les Paul Classic/neck pickup.

Track #3 - Crunch channel - Les Paul Classic/bridge pickup.

Track #4 - Overdrive channel - Les Paul Classic/bridge pickup.

Track #5 - Clean channel - Strat/neck pickup.

Track #6 - Crunch channel - Strat/neck pickup.

Track #7 - Overdrive channel - Strat/bridge pickup.

The following tracks are finished promotional samples recorded and mixed at Leeway Studios www.leewaymusic.com or www.myspace.com/leewaymusic, in Memphis, Tennessee, using a Blues City Music's demo SLO-100 rig as described above.

Track #1 - played by Chris Gavin formerly with Dust for Life. This track showcases Chris' guitar work on Danny Childress' recording "Collide".

Track #2 - played by Chris D'Abaldo with 8 Days to Amsterdam www.myspace.com/8daystoamsterdam and their recording "Same Ole Line".

Track #3 - Played by Monoxide Project. www.myspace.com/monoxideproject The recording is called "Oil Stamp".

Track #4 - This incredible blues track was played and recorded by my good friend and customer, Travis Posey. www.myspace.com/travisposeymusic He used the Overdrive channel with the master set on 5.5, the pregain set on 3 with the Warren Haynes bright/cut option engaged through his Soldano 4 x 12" slant cabinet with English made Celestion Vintage 30's. He played a Gibson Les Paul 57' gold top reissue with stock pickups with the guitar volume slightly rolled back. A Chandler Echo with just a touch of reverb was added during mix down of this track.

This track was recently picked up by Celestion Speakers and added as a premier track on their “MP3 Candy” page, highlighting his use of 70’s English made Vintage 30’s.